Ahhh, as the 12 year anniversary of this amazing show approaches, some great memories begin to flood back.
We stayed at a hotel within walking distance to the venue and I was bringing 3 Phish n00bs to their 1st show.
We had decent pavilion seats in the back center. Great sound and sight lines.

The show opened with what is widely considered to be one of the top Bathtub Gins ever. 24 minutes of pure HOSE! Gordo locks down a serious disco groove that just pulsates and drives the band to amazing places. Just a breathtaking start and the crowd is going ape shit at the end of the song. I remember turning to my Phish virgins (they had a major 'buzz' going) after this Gin and they WERE HOOKED!
Dog Log follows and it is still to this day the only one I have seen. Super rare and very well played.
Foam starts out a run of 3 'F' songs and Trey is very on point in his solo. The now uber-rare Fikus ensues followed by Farmhouse.
The debut of the reworked Vultures starts out, and the intensity is just mind blowing! Lots of peaks to end. Vultures is a very ominous song, and at this point I was speechless as the quality of the set.
Then another super rare song Glide! Keep it coming!
Set closes with a fiery Birds which was still relatively new. They hadn't explored the possibilities with Birds yet, but it was pure octane.
WHAT A SET!
2nd set opens with some spacey ambiance before Fishman starts the Buried Alive drumbeat and within a couple of minutes it was apparent this was no ordinary Buried Alive. They explored the boundaries and then some. Lots of Type 2 in Buried Alive??? Are you kidding me? This might be the only jammed out version ever! It was 15 minutes of amazing exploration. As they are winding down the version with repeated runs by Trey through the spaced out Buried Alive theme they pulled a major audible by going into a new cover, Call Me If You Need a Fool. This is the start of a trend in '98 that runs through nearly every single show through the end of the tour of debuting a cover. After the debut it segues into AC/DC Bag(which normally would've come out of Buried Alive! Outside of Atlanta 7/4/99, this is my favorite Type 1 Bag. Super high energy and lots of peaks before ending.
>Lizards! Super patient! If not for a lyrical flub in the 3rd verse, this might be a candidate for best ever. Super emotional.
>Tube---YES!! The funk is DEEP!
>Kung---whacko! Golf Cart Marathon!
>Antelope complete with Vacuum solo? are you kidding?
I was FLOORED by this set again!
The triple encore with Bittersweet Motel to close was the whip cream and cherry on the Phish sundae!
Amazing show. My n00b friends looked @ me with their flying saucer eyeballs and were slack jawed!

disclaimer: not really a review.

This was actually my last show for 12 years. I checked out the shows at Riverport in '97 and '98 just to sorta keep up on what they were up to after sorta losing interest in '96. I remeber not being all that into it at the time but now I have a recording and I'm getting back into it. The next show I saw after this one was Jones Beach in 2010.

I basically missed 2.0 but the beginning of 3.0 got me back into the mix. I'm glad I'm back.

Alright, so most fans know the Riverport Gin (and if you don't, listen to it immediately), but you should do yourself a service and listen to the rest of this great show, as well. It's one of the best shows from the strong Summer tour.

The Gin opener is a fan-favorite and, in many peoples' eyes, the band's best jam ever. Maybe I won't go that far, but it is my favorite Bathtub Gin and sits firmly on my list of top 10 jams. It begins with a soaring opening section led by Trey, while the second half of the jam features a fantastic funk jam. This is a great example of the 4- headed monster doing its thing, where it seems like the whole band is being controlled by one brain. Each member plays awesomely in this jam, but I gotta single Mike out because he just fucks shit up, and I mean that in the absolutely best way possible. This is one of Cactus' most groovealicous moments. The seldom-played Dog Log (dedicated to Paul) makes a great landing pad for the epic opener, and then we enter the portion of the show brought to you by the letter F, featuring the first Foam since 12/6/97 and the second appearance of the SOTG rarity, Fikus. Farmhouse serves as the final breather of the set, before the fan-favorites Vultures and Glide liven things up. A short but hot BOAF ends the set. There is not a whole lot of jamming in the first set besides the Bathtub Gin (and that's a BIG besides), but several lesser-played songs are present, and I can't imagine rating this first set as anything but a 5. I mean come on, any set that contains a contender for best Phish jam ever doesn't need a whole lot else to deserve a 5 rating.

The second set doesn't have any moments that contend with the Gin, but this is still an excellent and balanced set. The set opens with Buried Alive, but this is not the typical short,high-energy tune it usually is. For whatever reason, the band decided to give it the treatment on this night, and what results is a high-quality, dynamic jam that keeps hinting at returning to Buried Alive, only to swerve off in another direction. If you Need a Fool is a fun bluegrass tune, and Trey rips in the following AC/DC Bag. This is a straightforward version, but it is definitely above-average and has an explosive build up and release. Lizards fits right in as Bag's jam winds down, and Tube>Kung>Antelope ends the set on the right foot. This Tube gets my vote for best of the summer. Its jam is a great blend of ambience and funk and is representative of the band's sound at the time. Waste>Golgi>Bittersweet Motel makes for a nice closing suite.

Long story short - Come for the Gin, stay for the rest of the party.

I truly wish that instead of releasing the 7-15-98 Portland Oregon show as a "livephish" release with this Bathtub Gin filler that they had just released this entire show instead.
The Bathtub is famous and I think it's easily in the top 3 with the Great Went and 7-21-97 Virginia Beach.
But this second set was a BEAST! The Tube>>Kung>>Antelope is one of the highlights of my phish career.

I have no idea who gave me a ride to Wisconsin after the show, but thanks so much. Your van was very, very comfortable and I needed sleep so bad my kidneys hurt.

Summer 98. Good times had by all

I'm going to share a short story with you. We were on 98 summer tour. Portland. The Gorge. Down the Cali Coast and into Phoenix. My two best friends friend lost her dog in San Fran. After Phoenix, the three girls I was with went to Flagstaff to stay with a friend. I went to Tucson to visit family for a bit. While this happened, they found the dog and two of the girls drove back to san fran. On the way back, they got into a big fight, and the girl who was driving took off. That left my two best friends in Flagstaff and myself in Tucson. We skipped the Texas shows because F Texas But now we were stranded in Arizona with midwest shows to hit!

These were the pre-craigslist, internet days. We took the greyhound 36 hours to St. Louis. Holy cow. How many of you have taken an extended trip on Greyhound? I felt like they should have paid me! Anyways, I was lucky to get there, so I retract my complaint. Go Greyhound!

We arrived late afternoon at the St. Louis station. We jumped in a cab with our bags and got to the venue at Riverport. There we were: all of our gear from tour with no car and no ride home (home was Chicago/Milwaukee area). Thank Buddha we were at a Phish show, surrounded by thousands of kick-arse humans! We spent an hour or two arranging rides to our respective destinations. We got into the venue with lawn, but snuck into the reserved.

We sat down exhausted. The instant we sat down, the boys came out. I didn't have any energy. I needed to be properly motivated. And guess what? They played arguably the best Bathtub Gin to open the show.

If K or N ever see this, it's A. Contact me. Let me know how you are

Bathtub Gin Review:

Timings are from the AUD....

5:29 jam LIFTOFF-Standard stuff, Page on piano, Fishman working the ride cymbal
6:45 Trey finds a melody and plays 'around' it, eventually settling on trills/triplets at 7:10...Mike follows with a SICK bassline, including some slides that really funk it up. Fishman throws in a splash or two and Trey's trills and patience help to build the sound.
8:00 Trey continues on trills but throws on some effects. He goes for the "release" at 8:30, though he quickly returns and continues to play around the riff.
9:00 Sweet release, Trey hits the resolve. It seems like he's going to solo but then he continues the trill an octave higher. At this point, Page is matching him, absolutely going off and destroying the piano.
9:52 Another peak. Great interaction with Trey and Page. Trey can't seem to get off the triplet pattern he has been noodling around with but he uses it to his advantage, creating several mini-peaks.
11:15 Jam gets nasty. High energy, Fishman is hitting the splash and Trey is bending some high notes.
12:05 Here is where a typical Gin would end. If it resolved here, we'd be happy, it'd be a standard '98 Gin, nice peak, good tension, happiness all around. But no, this jam fizzles into a funk breakdown.

12:40 Trey puts on some effects, Page switches to his keyboards. Trey eventually gets on the wah, Page layers his keys and his piano to set a nice soundscape, aka, the funk scratch.
13:30 Band drops to minor. Funk is deep, total patience shown by all members.
14:10 Here is where I lose my shit. Fishman changes to the cowbell(or block?), you know something nasty is gonna happen.
14:40 Mike drops some bombs with a delay. Ladies and gentlemen, the Cactus Show.
15:35 The bombs Mike drops here remind me of a Pink Floyd sound. Page switches to the organ, Trey comes off the wah and adds some rhythmic sound before releasing into a solo. Meanwhile Mike keeps dropping bombs with the delay.

17:15 Fish switches back to the ride cymbal, Trey takes the lead with the solo.
18:30 Page is doing some nice work switching up his keys. Trey goes back to his wah and Mike once again, takes over.
19:15 Page switches to piano, Mike drops some awesome double note bass riffs. Page's switch to the piano really adds a new dimension to the jam. Fish picks up on this and starts doing that thing he does where he just abandons his "beat" and plays fill after fill.
20:00 Holy mother f-er, shit goes down. The band locks in and vamps on a nice groove.

22:50 Return to major and the Gin theme.

Overall, the version doesn't have a raging peak but it does have a lot of funk. The first 1/3, which is typical Gin jamming style, doesn't feature the straight ahead rapid fire soloing from Trey, rather it relies on layering.

Well I see this has already been done, man I should've checked here first. Oh well.

GIN REVIEW:

All timings correspond with LP version.

:42-1:17 Page Fill 1

A little rhythm and a lot of power, but overall pretty standard

1:52-2:08 Page Fill 2

Pretty subdued actually…

2:44-3:00 Page Fill 3

Stylish playing around Rhapsody melody, very nice.

3:17 "Faucet"

Pretty clean take, some rhythmic caps on the end of the runs with muted strings.

4:01 "Singing with the Faucet"

Mike seems excited about…"Bathtub Gin!" On-key (for the most part) harmonizing with the guitar lines from Trey.

5:19 Jam segment

Immediately Trey starts a theme that he runs through and repeats in a higher tone. Slides down the neck and up with this beautiful motif, clearly he has an idea where this is going from the get go. Back and forth he goes with nice rhythm 5:45 starts sustain, 5:56 great sustain, 6:01 more sustain. Just nice and patient soloing with long sustaining clean notes. The band settles into a coasting pocket behind this that has all the signs of becoming a *soaring* jam.

6:29 Glorious little run from Trey here, 6:36 repeat, 6:45 so ridiculously melodic. Just point, counterpoint

6:58 It's trill time for some nice tension (rhythmic rather than melodic tension, we're still thoroughly in the light here)

7:10 Great Mike lines as Trey steps back melodically (still trilling) allowing Mike to step forward with gorgeous lines

7:38 Phase shifter effect, hazier sound to trey. Leslie phase shifter? Back and forth with the trills.

8:20 Release! and back to more trilling. Power peak chord at 8:37 and we are PICKING UP STEAM release 8:52 for sustain

9:07 up the neck sustain and release! 9:15 Page pounds out a counterpoint . 9:38 glorious note sustain from trey.

Just great, great jamming in here, coasting on the ride leading to that soaring feeling. This is still punctuated by peaks of sustain and trill, peaks of sustain, trill. But the sustain isn't quite a release because really the whole thing is just building. Trey speeds up the sustain/trill pattern and we are left with very quick trilling emphasizing rhythm while a note peaks out melodically, then more trilling then a different note. So the trill is really just added rhythm to an interweaving pattern where the melody is those notes that 'peak out' from behind the trilling. Sorry this is hard to describe…but you would instantly recognize this method of playing from Trey. The rest of the band is just providing a solid pocket of melodic base that promises HOSE TO COME.

10:11 High peaking from Trey

10:32 High notes from Mike in counterpoint
10:44 Beautiful Page run
10:15 1st BIG peak from Trey, proceeds to rock star just glorious stuff with a new harder edge.

11:20-11:35 great runs of sustain

11:46 power chord landing, serious trilling after.

12:22 new effect turned on, Page adding some effects as well, things cool down just a bit, tempo slowing as well.

12:53 wah chords by Trey, Mike handling some serious groove BUT with that glorious melody

13:18 clav added by Page

13:36 Mike getting really funky in here.

The whole transition from a soaring jam with amazing peaks to the more funky rhythm is handled incredibly gracefully, without anyone needing to drop out to re-gather themselves and hit the funk. It's just gradually that you notice we are in beat-land instead of teary-eyed hang gliding.

13:58 first rhythmic 'break' signaling new direction, repeated note by Mike 14:12-

We're settling into a new direction that is much more rhythmic, nice fills by Fish and envelope filter by Mike 14:50.

15:00 some whoo-ing from Fish who likes it.

15:12 just an incredible Mike 'solo' in here with some kind of effect I'm unfamiliar with.

15:38 Page on organ, Trey adding rocking fills

16:00 Mike with that weird effect and Trey rocking much more, Page adding organ swells...

16:30 repeating pattern from Trey with some GRIT to it, fish mixing the rhythm up much more, seriously sounding like this could come from '94 or something. A jam with fire and rock.

17:48 Trey peak with this dirty rocking fuzz effect, not just distortion something extra.

18:20 Some wah added to Trey's mix of effects sounding amazing, Page plays staccato 18:40

This is some serious Oye Como Va-ing type jamming sounding easily like it could come out of a fiery YEM. The difference here is that this somehow is found *after* the truly mesmerizing high-beauty passage that started out the Gin and yet fits together in a pattern of the tastes of melody then rock. If someone were to wonder how to achieve the best effect of emphasizing either, they could listen to this jam that has really three segments.

19:25 Trey killing it with wah's and palm-mutes WHOA

19:33 Repeating pattern of funky ass power chords from Trey minus the wah, Fish and Trey emphasizing the down beat

Well this is just non-stop freaking groove amazing jamming, but not at all laid-back, this is intense and powerful jamming but with the emphasis on rhythm. We are out of the rock-sounding harder edge and now are fully concentrating on rhythm.

21:00 Things cooling off a bit with a more low key feel, more soulful Trey going forward.

21:52 Page on the Rhodes, beat still fast but definitely more cooling-down sounding.

22:37 out of nowhere Trey makes the shift back to Gin with only minor shifting of gears by the rest of the band.

23:37 after extended outro, jam ends to the unbridled enthusiasm of the crowd!

I would have to say that this is just archetypal jamming of a) melody b) groove rock and c) rhythm--in that order. There are no passages of searching nor are there any awkward transitions into new styles of jamming. This mother was crafted to perfection and I have absolutely no complaints. This is one of those jams that there really isn't that much more positive that can be said about it other than simply hearing it for yourself. I've had to rely on just technical descriptions here more than anything about the soul of it because it defies words. The melodic soaring jam is my favorite section and one of my favorite passages of Phish ever.

The aforementioned Bathtub Gin was my first exposure to Phish in-concert.
The impact it has had on me since, unmeasurable.
There will be no other Gin I can more readily embrace.

2nd Set got weird, in a good way.

3 song encore was the icing.

I didn't remember that I was at this very show, but I did remember a show in the late '90s where I met Mike for the first time; a small crowd formed around him as he pulled up a few feet away from me and stopped. I remember looking in his eyes and thinking of the line "His eyes were clear and pure/but his mind was so deranged" as that seemed to describe him perfectly: he was the essence of calm, holding multiple conversations at once and answering (albeit vaguely) the multiple fan queries. All I was able to get in was "Have a good show, Mike!" and a pat on his back as he drove away (which I hope he wasn't weirded out by).
A little later, I'm at my pavilion seats with whoever I was with at the time, the weather is gorgeous, and they open with this Gin. Being a phan about five years in at this time, I was familiar with some live versions of it, and was enjoying the groove and the nice arpeggiated interplay between Trey and Page after the sung verses and refrain.
Then-WHOA. What's happening. The tempo increases and the band LOCKS IN. They turn robo-funk, right before our eyes. Fish throws in a wood block, Trey strips away all but up-down muting, Page gets atmospheric with his keys, and Mike starts dropping this delay-bombs that both space out and propel the music. We are entering trans-dimensional space here, and dancing like complete FOOLS the entire time. The whole time I am amazed how four people can act as one, turning the music inside out and shifting on a dime. When Trey starts his porno-funk and Page adds his Hammond bursts, it gets unreal. THEN MIKE. MIKE MIKE MIKE! Tight, up/down octave funk slap. Fish switches to ride. Pure release, not from a melodic but a rhythmic tension. They've been tweaking this in practice, and have unleashed IT on us, whatever IT is. A perfection crafted from the hundreds of jams preceding. And then Trey announces the end with the re-introduction of the "theme" and we're out, back to earth. A ridiculous, sloppy, joyous ending (crash-landing) helps reinforce the reminder of both the journey, and the return.
The rest of the show is a blur, but that moment stands out in my mind. And feeling the direct human connection between me and one of my musical heroes immediately preceding that, just makes it that much more special. It was so direct, cause seeming to manifest directly to effect, that I even found myself thinking, "Did I do that??" But, in hindsight, I realized WE did that. The band was ready to deliver, and the crowd receive. And it wasn't till much later, finding the video on YouTube under "Best Gin Ever?" and confirming it by the discovery of the ticket stub from that very show, that I was able to relive that miraculous moment.
And if you haven't listened to the show, get yourself to phishtracks.com or phish.in, or at least find that YouTube video. You will NOT be disappointed.

The Gin opener, the jammed out Buried Alive -> If You Need a Fool second set opener, and the Tube > Kung > Antelope combo platter are out of this world, making it the best show to that point on US soil in Summer '98.

I was at this show with some great friends. On a lark, I said we needed a good Kung, and the band delivered.

Aside from the music and the camaraderie, I will never forget seeing a shirtless wooly Phish-head running around the lawn like a wild man during the first set. Towards the end of the first set, we noticed that shirtless wooly head was now a COMPLETELY NAKED wooly head still running around and dancing on the lawn. Considering the quality of this show, I was not surprised by denuded joy.

Naturally, as soon as the first set ended, everyone sat down, except of course for the naked wooly head who now stuck out like a sore ... thumb. Security kindly escorted him somewhere where we hoped he would get some hydration, maybe a soft chair and hopefully a 3XL "Welcome to St. Louis" t-shirt that dangled down to his knees.

As my friends and I returned our attention to our immediate surroundings, we noticed -- during our discussion of that sick Bathtub Gin -- a lovely couple embraced in passionate kissing directly in front of us on a lovely picnic blanket. Somewhat stunned by their intensity, my friends and I silently tried not to stare, wondering if nakedness might continue on the lawn of fair Riverport. Instead, the female of the pair extracted her tongue from her lover, rolled to her side and threw up all over the ground directly next to her. And just like that, the moment was gone.

As we looked on, the happy couple packed up their blanket and left for greener pastures while the pile of half-digested veggie burrito slowly percolated on the lawn. Thankfully some gentle soul walked over and placed a lost t-shirt on top of the mess, allowing us to eagerly await the second set without concern that any shoeless spinners might slip during the duration of the show.

Seriously, I hope the naked wooly head got some clothes from security because he did not want that t-shirt back.

Riverport -- for me -- will always be an amazing show, the best Bathtub Gin I've ever heard, and the tableau for the Tale of Naked Boy and Vomit Girl. I like to imagine they met somewhere in the middle ... hopefully with some adult supervision.

My first show and I have been Hooked ever since. I now have 43 under my belt and hopefully many more to come.

At first I was a bit skeptical about everyone piling on so heavily about this Gin opener. To be honest, after giving it a listen I have to join the chorus. This performance is fantastic, a true achievement for the band. In fact the entire show is great and the opener definitely set the tone for a fantastic night of inspired music making. Now will they please announce the Summer 2013 tour dates already!

This was my first show. I have such clear memories of this gig. I had no idea that this was such a heater. The gin is inarguably great as is the entire second set. Pretty great first experience with phish. I went to the next three shows after this as a result of this show. Ah 1998. You snooze you lose.

Part of my full run through of Summer '98, see here

So we've finally arrived at one of the points of this tour I've been waiting for. Now angling back upwards the last few sets after sinking to the low point of the tour, the band kicks this show off with Bathtub Gin, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The jam starts off in typical Bathtub Gin fashion at 5.5 minutes, with Trey riffing a bit around the theme. Fish and Mike are holding this one down steadily at first. The theme begins to get more uplifting approaching the seven minute mark, and Trey starts to ascend. At this point Fish and Mike have perked up as well. Mike is laying down some great lines as Trey begins to range into bliss territory after the eight minute mark. Page is really selling it as well and the joyous theme continues to build... we are back in Gorge territory here as the band is not rushing the peak, instead patiently bouncing through every variation of the theme they can think of. At eleven minutes in Trey and Page are finally hitting full bliss and Mike and Fish are accenting the hell out of it. Trey and Mike really are in the zone at about 12 minutes in and they start to turn the jam inward, and at about 13.5 minutes they have re-entered funk ambience mode with Mike really leading the charge. At just under 14 minutes Mike strikes up a new theme, finally leaving the key of Gin, and Fish god bless him, is right there with him holding down the new groove. The rhythm section is in full control now and we are now in a kind of funk march unlike anything related to Gin at all. This goes on for several minutes until Trey finally fully re-enters the fray at about 17 minutes. Trey's theme here is fantastic and kicks the band's energy back up a notch. At 18.5 minutes the band has settled in and now they are sinking into THIS theme and seeing every path it goes down. Page and Mike are trading licks and Fish is driving this one harder and harder as they approach the 20 minute mark. This is now feeling more funky again, but maintains the pulsing beat of the earlier theme. Page is driving the theme at 21 minutes, first on clav and then on piano, and the jam starts to slow down and you can feel that descent is imminent. Everyone starts to slide out and then finally, Trey lets the Gin theme ring out at 22.5 minutes and the band changes key to follow, and we end things with a triumphant note in Gin proper at 23.5 minutes. Some consider this the best Phish jam of all time and it certainly makes a strong case. This is pure communication and feels like an amazing ride with everyone contributing. Some others might be go deeper or longer or darker or brighter, but as far as long form but self-contained jams within the confines of one song, this has to be on the short list.

The Dog Log dedicated to Paul Languedoc feels like it could be the only follow up here to a show that started with a top tier jam. Foam also feels perfect here as it has some thematic similarities to the second half of the Gin jam. Fikus provides a welcome break, and the band follows up with mostly standard versions of good songs for the rest of the set (though the new Vultures arrangement is a tad bit shaky here). Honestly, that is all they needed to do after that Gin jam to open though.

The first 2.5 minutes of this second set is ambient haze until an unexpected Buried Alive emerges. At about the 6.5 minute mark, rather than wrap up the typical arranged ending of the instrumental tune, Trey takes off and starts to elevate. This feels like a delicate build on Trey's part, contrasted by Fishman still holding down the traditional Buried Alive rhythm until they hit 8 minutes. At that point Mike starts to drop into a new pattern and Trey goes into more of a rock rhythm with Page building tension. By 10 minutes Fishman is moving away from the typical Buried Alive script but still maintaining the driving feel of the song, while the rest of the band is back to exploring space; we drop into another ambient section that is repeatedly punctuated with the Buried Alive main theme. At 12 minutes Trey goes into a new theme, backed by loops and Page's piano, with the rhythm section still holding down that unrelenting sense of motion that Buried Alive generates. By 13 minutes or so the band is fading out with more teases of the primary theme before smoothly segueing into the debut of If You Need a Fool (which is very well done).

The central portion of the second set is a double dose of Gamehendge, though in weird order, with a jamless but very hard-rocking AC/DC leading into a measured Lizards. After this there is a bit of a pause, so the crowd must have been more than relieved when the band kicks into Tube. This is another great '98 version, meaning the song is still hitting it's peak. The ending is punctuated by descending ambience that leads into Kung. The Antelope closer has a particularly playful intro with Fish on the vacuum and ends the set in a raucous fashion. The encore feels fairly normal with Waste going into Golgi, but then the band makes the unusual decision to end things with Bittersweet Motel for the second time in a three show stretch. Either way, a three song encore feels like icing on the cake.

The show is really defined by the two jams at the start of each set, which contradict each other in a lot of ways. While both showcase the bounds of the band's creativity and drive to explore, the Gin feels like the band is completely telepathic and locked in tight and absolutely rocks, while Buried Alive is blurry and ambient, with that tightrope-walking, bottom could drop out feel the entire time, but still never gets away from them. Everything else is gravy, though the playing is solid, the song selection is great with some fan favorite rarities (Dog Log and Kung), and the finish is strong with another fantastic Tube and a fun Antelope to close out. We are 100% back in "Best Phish Ever" territory here after what felt like a lull, and still plenty of shows to go before we hit the end of this tour.

PHISH, WEDNESDAY 07/29/1998
RIVERPORT AMPHITHEATER
Maryland Heights, MO

SET 1:

Bathtub Gin: Exceptional, one of the best Phish jams not just of this song but any song. This one has sort of an inverted nature in that early on in the jam out comes the hose and is let loose on the fans for minutes on end. Once they play through that incredible stuff, they get into a long and funky jam that is very engaging. This funk fest just jams for days. One thing I love about this version is that it gets finished, they somehow manage to bring it all back around. It’s a masterpiece. They give it a good many false endings. Easy all timer and highly recommended.

Dog Log: Played for Paul, his favorite Phish song. Nice bust

Foam: Has some extra mustard, this one sounds great!

Fikus: Oof.

Farmhouse: Standard. >

Vultures[1] - Trey absolutely crushes this one, very impressive guitar work. Would recommend!

Glide: Wow nicely placed! What a completely unique setlist!

Birds of a Feather: Don’t let the time stamp fool you, check this one out. Yeah, it’s straightforward but Trey is a BEAST. He makes that ‘doc absolutely scream for mercy in a couple spots. Very cool

SET 2:

Buried Alive: This was the second to last time that this opened up the second set. First and only time that this tune has gotten jammed! This one really doesn’t even go type II until its about 8 minutes in. A couple of minutes after that Trey plays around with the original theme a couple of times and it seems like that might be it. No! This one gets very trippy, very fast. This goes on for a couple of minutes, then things get bluesy, then back to the spacy stuff. Then Fish hits the wood blocks and leads them into a debut. Wow!!! That was an absolute mind**** and then for it to segue into something they had never played before, and a bluegrass tune at that? Seriously, that will blow your stack given the right mindset when listening to this. Incredible. Easy all timer and highly recommended. ->

If You Need a Fool[2] - Fun little tune. The first of only three versions.

AC/DC Bag: This one smokes big time!!! >

The Lizards: Solid.

Tube: Nice and funky throughout with one consistent loop that drones away in the background. Love that. >

Kung: Standard. >

Run Like an Antelope[3] - Standard.

ENCORE:

Waste: Standard. >

Golgi Apparatus: Standard. >

Bittersweet Motel: Standard.

Summary: Two all timers and then another significant highlight in Vultures and a good supporting cast. This one feels like a 4.3/5 to me – Phish.net is a little higher on it than that as the current rating is Overall: 4.464/5 (220 ratings)

Replay Value: Bathtub Gin, Vultures, Buried Alive

[1] Debut of new arrangement.
[2] Phish debut.
[3] Fish on vacuum for portion of intro.

The usually short Buried Alive was jammed for almost fifteen minutes. This show featured the Phish debut of If You Need a Fool, as well as the debut of the new arrangement of Vultures. A portion of the intro to Antelope featured Fish on vacuum. Bathtub Gin from this gig was included as filler on Live Phish 17.
SHOW RATING
Your rating:
Overall: 4.464/5 (220 ratings)
JAM CHART VERSIONS
Bathtub Gin, Buried Alive, Tube

The Riverport Gin is infamous as it should be, but this show as a whole is monster of its own. Particularly, set two really shines as its own stand alone piece. Highlights:

1) Bathtub Gin: Jam starts on in full hose mode, typical Gin fare, then morphs into some dirty funk by 15 min. Everyone here is locked in. Mike's bass tone is incredible, Page is peppering the whole affair with organ licks and then some baby grand, Trey is alternating between brief swirling leads and funk chords, and Fishman is holding down a steady groove while executing hits and rolls seamlessly. This is a masterclass of a jam that evolves without ever feeling forced. The return to the main Gin theme is excellent and by the end of this funk excursion, the boys could have just walked off the stage for set break. Amazing start to the show!

2) Dog Log: Who doesn't love a song about dog shit? Would go nuts if I ever saw this tune.

3) Buried Alive: Alright! Bowie opener! Start those hi-hats Fishman! Wait... WTF?! Fishman, that's the wrong drum beat... oh hot damn, buried alive emerging out of some Bowie-esque dissonance! That intro is a strong hint that this not going to be your typical high energy blues fest. After experiencing a more dissonant than usual take on the song proper, the band leans into the rollicking Buried Alive beat and push into high energy psychedelia. Trey is on an unrelenting shred fest while Page and Fishman are providing lots of pounding noise. Things eventually begin to drift towards more ambient territory, well beyond the bounds of Buried Alive, although the main melodic theme is amazingly maintained in bastardized form. Two phenomenal set openers. This is a hell of a show! Buried Alive seamlessly transitions into...

4) If You Need A Fool: ...a fun and energetic take on this great bluegrass/folk tune. Too much fun!

5) AC/DC Bag: Short, but amazing Bag! The band feels confident and locked in, every note lands with purpose and Mike is really plucking the feathers out of that bass line. The song eventually hits two huge peaks and from the crowd cheers you can tell everyone is raging face!

6) Tube: Extended funk and grooves galore. Great version of a song that is always a welcome treat in any set. I particularly love Mike's solo breakdown over the delay loops before the band slides back into the funk like thick socks on a hardwood floor.

7) Kung> Run Like an Antelope: A spacey Kung emanating from the Tube funk wallows right into a lilting Antelope. Don't worry, this beast doesn't lilt for long. The rocking energy that characterizes this entire 2nd set is ever-present as this Antelope kicks and flails to several chaotic peaks, the tension unrelenting before finally releasing into some beautiful aye-rocco funk where Mike really thickens the room with chunky peanut butter bass. A delicious version and apt ending to a beautiful set.

8) Waste: Say what you want about this tune, but when Trey is on, this song has a gorgeous and soulful outro. Case in point.

Front to back, I loved every single moment of this show. It feels cohesive, focused, yet fun and loose. The famous Gin from this show is worthy of every bit of acclaim it has gotten. It is probably my favorite jam of the tour and, currently, my favorite Gin of all-time.

That said, every song is perfectly placed, well-played, and the flow of this show was just perfect. Dog Log was a great followup. Oh my goodness, I love Fikus live! First time hearing it. Bring it back! It's such an interesting tune and it could have been turned into a fascinating segue out of a jam if they had kept in rotation more.

Of course, Set II is anchored by the out-of-nowhere jam in Buried Alive which beautifully segues into If You Need a Fool. This really is a unique bit of music. Lizards, Tube, Antelope and some Kung on top. It's a unique show with a wonderful flow and energy throughout. Beautiful encores to boot.

After listening to the whole Summer U.S. 1998 tour, this is my favorite of the tour. Everything I love about Summer 98 is right here.

Fishman fans (Afishionados?) will absolutely lop up Fish's work on the ride cymbal during the early stages of this Bathtub Gin.

The Gin is legendary and understandably so, but grinding away under Trey's circular, feel-good riffing is Fishman, who's doing real dirty things to his ride cymbal. (Ride cymbals, for those unfamiliar, are the ones that make a sort of "ding" sound...)

On the official Live release, this nastiness starts at about 6:15 and accelerates right along with the jam. It ticks up a notch at about 8:30, and by the time Trey really lets loose, the rhythm infection has spread.

It's not the most technically impressive thing you'll hear from Fish, and this epic jam would soar into the clouds with or without this nuance. But boy, if you are a drummer or just dig Fish, this is must-hear stuff.

I'm going to assume that you are already familiar with the top-5 Bathtub Gin that opens the show and the top-1 Buried Alive that opens the second set. If not, stop what your doing right now and go listen. Both circulate in SBD form and are widely available on the internet.

Outside of Gin, the first set features a relative rarity in the form of Dog Log, the always welcome (by me anyway) Fikus and the debut of the new arrangement of Vultures. The second set is pretty close to flawless. The aforementioned Buried Alive segues very nicely into If you Need a Fool, which is a great Bluegrass cover that they should play again. The Lizards "jam" section is beautifully played and is even more delicate than usual. The crowd is surprisingly attentive for a 98 amphitheater. The second set closes with an excellent 9 minute Tube > Kung > an Antelope that starts with Fishman on the vacuum and proceeds to the usual Antelope territory from there. A three song encore is always welcome even if two of the songs are ballads. It may seem a little anticlimactic to end with Bittersweet Motel, but its just so pretty and seems to fit with the vibe of the night.

Highlights: Gin, Buried Alive, Lizards, Tube > Kung

Just another example of the many, many top-level Phish shows from Summer 98

4.65 / 5 Grade A Phish

I'm not trying to be a hater, and I'm all for being in the moment of a show, especially when a completely unanticipated improvisational *moment* happens - that shit is thrilling, and this is a really good jam, but is this really seriously in contention for one of the best Phish moments of all time?
The most wildly popular versions of songs, shows, tours, etc kind of self-perpetuate: they are good, they get the most press, those in "the know" bump them as best-ever, the n00bs listen to them, and the cycle is repeated (the Tahoe Tweezer is a perfect example: yeah, it's good, but it's sure as shit not the greatest Phish jam ever). I have to believe this the case here. Solid show elevated to near-mythical status.